Garfield - Box Set [DVD Boxset] [2-Disc Set; Sensormatic]

GARFIELD THE MOVIE: The popular long-running comic strip about the fat and lazy cat named Garfield comes to life with this live-action Hollywood comedy. Based on characters created by Jim Davis, the film tells the story of this supremely spoiled pet, who wants the affection of everyone around him, only he wants it on his own terms. Trouble arises one day when, under the influence of the beautiful veterinarian Liz (Jennifer Love Hewitt), Garfield's owner Jon (Breckin Meyer) stuns him by bringing home a cuddly dog, Odie. Jealous at the attention Odie is receiving, Garfield locks Odie out of the house. Odie runs away and, when he's kidnapped by the evil television personality Happy Chapman (Stephen Tobolowsky), Garfield realizes his mistake, and embarks on a brave mission to rescue his new housemate.

Bill Murray is a perfect choice to provide the loveable voice behind the computer-animated cat. Director Peter Hewitt keeps the story moving along at a quick pace, ensuring that children's attention spans won't be tested. Breezy and charming, GARFIELD is a nostalgic return to the past for older viewers who grew up with the fuzzy feline, and an engaging introduction for younger audiences who are meeting him for the very first time.

GARFIELD: A TALE OF TWO KITTIES: This sequel to the 2004 hit GARFIELD: THE MOVIE maintains that film's clever intermingling of live-action supporting cast with a CGI-animated Garfield, that self-centered, lasagna-mad feline, made famous in Jim Davis's newspaper comic strips. Though the title is a riff from Dickens, the story here is actually copped from Mark Twain's THE PRINCE & THE PAUPER. While tagging along to England with his lovely veterinarian girlfriend (Jennifer Love Hewitt), Garfield's owner, John Arbuckle (Breckin Meyer), inadvertently brings Garfield (voiced by Bill Murray) along. There he winds up being mistaken for Prince (voiced by Tim Curry), the royal cat of a lordly estate. There's a plot afoot to steal Prince's lands and title, orchestrated by the nefarious Dargis (Billy Connolly) and it's up to Garfield to save the day, that is if he can get his face out of the lasagna long enough. Connolly brings a contagious sense of malicious fun to his role as the bad guy, and Bill Murray fans will be licking their whiskers over his droll take on Garfield's lazy anti-heroics. A roster of top British actors lends their voices to some animals on the estate, including Bob Hoskins, Richard E. Grant, and Jane Horrocks. Fluffy and friendly overall, this is fine family fare, rated PG for some cheeky bathroom humor.